How to Make Outdoor and Indoor Fountains

Flower pots and decorative bowls can be used to create tabletop fountains.

Fountains have become so popular that you can find them inside and outside the home. The tranquility of trickling water can be enjoyed in the privacy of a room or on a backyard patio. But fountains can be expensive to buy, especially if you want one for indoor and outdoor use. However, you can create your own tabletop fountain for a fraction of the cost. These fountains can go from a living room to a patio as long as you have a power outlet within reach. One simple tabletop fountain is a rock fountain.

Things You'll Need

• Decorative bowl
• Silicone caulk (optional)
• Waterproofing sealer
• Plastic coupling
• Drill
• Submersible water pump
• Plastic tubing
• Garden stones
• Marbles
• Plant stand (optional)

Instructions

1. Select a decorative bowl that will serve as the base of your fountain. Find a bowl large enough to house a submersible water pump as well as the rocks that will be built up around it.

2. Make sure that the bowl you have selected does not leak. Fill it with water and check it for several hours to make sure that the water has not leaked. If there is a leak, fix noticeable leaks with a silicone caulk. Add a waterproofing sealer to the interior of the bowl. Let the sealer dry.

3. Take a plastic plumbing coupling and drill at least two or three holes in the side of it. These holes will allow water to gain access to the pump. Create one hole that is large enough for the water pump's power cord.

4. Place the submersible water pump in the bottom of the bowl. Attach the plastic tube to the pump's outtake opening. Cover the water pump with the coupling. Make sure that the power cord comes through one of the holes in the coupling. Allow the power cord to hang over the side of the bowl.

5. Add water to the bowl until the water covers the intake filter on the pump.

6. Lay rocks all around the coupling and on top. Stack the rocks until you have a rock formation that you like. Arrange the rocks around the plastic tube so that the tube is hidden. Top off the rock formation by adding marbles to the crevices between the rocks. This will give the rock structure more color and another design element.

7. Plug in the fountain pump and watch the flow of water from the rock formation. If you are dissatisfied with the flow or the sound of the water, you can rearrange the rocks until you get a formation you are happy with.

Tips & Warnings

• When buying a water pump, consider the length of the power cord and how far the pump will shoot water. This will help you to determine the pump that will be right for the fountain you want to create.

• Be careful when moving the tabletop fountain from inside your home to an outdoor space. Make sure that the rocks in the bowl are set up in such a way that they do not shift when moved. You can place the bowl on an outdoor table or consider placing it on a decorative plant stand.

• Make sure that the tabletop fountain is plugged into a ground fault circuit interrupter outlet. A GFCI plug will cut power if a short occurs in the water pump.

References

• "Tabletop Fountains"; Dawn Cusick; 1999
• "Simple Fountains"; Dorcas Adkins; 1999